Integrated clutch assembly damper arrangement

ABSTRACT

A clutch assembly and damper arrangement is provided that includes a driver hub and a driven element coupled to the driver hub by a compliance element. A clutch is provided that is selectively engageable to the driven element. The clutch has a housing supporting the compliance element and is torsionally unitary with the driven element.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/772,718, filed Feb. 13, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to clutch assembly and damperarrangements. Especially clutch assembly and damper arrangements used indual input shaft automatic transmissions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is desirable to make the clutch assembly and damper arrangement fitin as small a package as possible while at the same time simplifyingassembly and reducing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To make manifest the above noted and other manifold desires, the presentinvention provides a clutch assembly and damper arrangement wherein theclutch housing is integrated into the damper allowing the totalarrangement to be placed in a smaller package.

Other features of the invention will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art as the invention is further revealed in theaccompanying drawings and Detailed Description of the Invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a preferred embodiment clutch assembly anddamper arrangement of the present invention with portions removed forclarity of illustration.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the clutch assembly and damper arrangementshown in FIG. 1 with portions of the clutch assembly removed for clarityof illustration.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the clutch assembly and damper arrangementshown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the clutch assembly and damperarrangement shown in FIGS. 1-3 with portions removed for clarity ofillustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1-4, the present invention clutch assembly and damperarrangement 7 has a clutch assembly 10 and a damper 12. The clutchassembly 10 is a dual clutch assembly, however the present invention canalso be utilized with a single clutch assembly. The clutch assembly 10is mounted within a stationary frame 14. Rotatably mounted in the frame14 is a clutch housing 16. The clutch housing 16 mounts an inner inputshaft apply plate or piston 18. The piston 18 has apply chamber seals 20and 22.

A spring plate 24 biases the piston 18 to a non-applied position. Thepiston 18 is selectively actuated by pressurized hydraulic fluid flowingthrough a passage 26. The passage 26 is fluidly connected with a fluidport 28. When the piston 18 is actuated, it engages a friction packprovided by separator plates 30 and friction discs 32. A spline portion64 (FIG. 2) of the housing torsionally connects the separator plates 30with the clutch housing 16. A backup plate 34 is retained to the clutchhousing 16 by retainer ring 36. The friction discs have a splineconnection with a clutch output hub 38. The hub 38 is splined to aninner diameter transmission input shaft 40. Actuation of the piston 18causes the clutch housing 16 to be torsionally connected with the inputshaft 40.

The clutch assembly 10 has a fixably connected hub 42. The hub 42 has aspline connection with a series of divider plates 44 and an end plate46. Juxtaposing the divider plates 44 are friction discs 48. An applyplate or piston 50, that is biased by a series of retainer springs 52,is provided to engage the friction pack provided by the divider plates44 and the friction discs 48. Seals 47 and 49 seal an apply chamberbordered by the piston 50. The friction discs 48 have a splineconnection with a clutch output hub 53. The hub 53 is splined to anouter diameter transmission input shaft 54. Pressurized fluid flowingthrough a port 55 and through a passage 56 causes the piston 50 toengage the friction pack provided by the divider plates 44 and frictiondisc 48 to torsionally connect the housing 16 with an inner diametertransmission input shaft 40. Actuation of the pistons 18 and 50 areselectively independent of each other.

The housing 16 has a front extreme edge with a face 60. The face 60 hasfour geometrically spaced slots 62. As mentioned previously the housing16 has a spline portion 64 that torsionally connects with theaforementioned separator plates 30. The housing 16 has a thickenedportion 66 (FIG. 3). The thickened portion 66 has penetrating slots 68that are generally axially extending in its major dimension. The slots62 and 68 are radially aligned with the slots 62 being positionedradially outward from the slots 68. The slots 68 are radiallyintersecting with a projection of the spline portion 64. The housing 16also has a spring support cylinder portion 69 that extends generallyfrom the spline portion 64 to the extreme edge 60.

The damper 12 includes a driver element provided by an input hub havinga core 70 and a hub plate 72. The hub plate 72 has three arcuate slots75 for receipt of circumferentially spaced pins 74. The plate 72 hasnine arcuate friction block slots 76. The hub plate 72 also has threecompliance member posts 78.

The hub plate 72 is encircled by a compliance element comprised by aplurality of coil springs. As seen in FIG. 3, a right lobe 80 of thepost penetrates a coil spring 82. The coil spring 82 is separated fromadjoining coil springs 84 and 86 by a sliding block 88. A sliding block90 separates coil springs 84 and 86 and coil springs 92 and 94. Asliding block 96 separates springs 92 and 94 from a coil spring 98. Thecoil spring 98 is fitted upon a left lobe 100 of a post 78. The abovenoted pattern of coil springs and sliding blocks is repeated betweeneach separate post 78.

Coupled to the driver element is a driven element provided by a frontshell 102 and a rear shell 104. The front and rear shells 102, 104 havethree apertures 71 for receipt of connecting pins 74 and pin sleeves106. The front shell 102 has three radial projections 108. Theprojections 108 fit within the slots 62 to form a torsional connectionbetween the front shell 102 and the clutch housing 16 forward of thecoil springs forming the compliance element and radially outward of thepins 74. The front shell 102 has three stamped out spring cages 109abutting the springs 82 and 98.

Positioned adjacent the front shell 102 is a ring spring 110. The ringspring 110 abuts a push ring 112. The ring 112 provides a biasing forceagainst friction blocks 114 that are captured within the slots 76. Therear shell 104 has three stamped spring cages 117. The rear shell 104has three generally axial extending projections 116. The projections 116extend into the slots 68 forming a torsional connection with the clutchhousing 16 rearward of the coil springs of the compliance element andradially outward of the pins 74. The projection 116—slot 68 torsionalconnection extends axially reward of the backing plates 34 and 46.

In operation an engine powered crankshaft 120 turns a flywheel 122. Theflywheel 122 turns the core 70 of the damper input hub. The hub plate 72rotates causing the posts 78 to drive the compliance element provided bythe coil springs. The coil springs transfer torque to the driven elementprovided by the front and rear shells 102, 104. Since the pins 74 canmove in the slots 75, relative movement can exist between the driver anddriven elements. Torsional vibration from the engine is absorbed in thecompliance element. Additional torsional damping is provided by theaction of the friction blocks 114 against the rear shell 104. Thesliding blocks and coil springs are supported by of the clutch housingspring support portion 69. The driven element and the clutch housing 16will torsionally turn in a unitary fashion due to the positioning of theprojections 108,116 within the slots 62 and 68. The damper 10 isunrestrained in the forward axial direction due to the projection-slotarrangement of the damper and clutch housing. Accordingly, assembly ofthe damper 12 to the clutch assembly 10 is simplified.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed, it is to be understood it has been described by way ofexample only, and various modifications can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as it is encompassed in thefollowing claims.

1. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement comprising: a driverelement; a driven element coupled to said driver element by a complianceelement; and a clutch selectively engageable to said driven element,said clutch having a housing supporting said compliance element andbeing torsionally unitary with said driven element.
 2. A clutch assemblyand damper arrangement as described in claim 1 wherein said clutchassembly is hydraulically engageable.
 3. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 1 wherein said compliance elementcomprises of a plurality of springs.
 4. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 1 wherein said clutch housing has aslot and a projection of said driven element is positioned into saidslot.
 5. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement as described in claim4 wherein said slot is on an extreme edge of said clutch housing.
 6. Aclutch assembly and damper arrangement as described in claim 4 whereinsaid slot of said housing is distanced away from an extreme edge of saidhousing.
 7. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement as described inclaim 4 wherein said slot of said housing has its major dimensionextending axially.
 8. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement asdescribed in claim 7 wherein said slot of said housing extends through athickened portion of said housing.
 9. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 4 wherein said slot of said housingpenetrates a thickness of said housing.
 10. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 1 having a plurality of coil springcompliance members with at least one sliding block positionedtherebetween.
 11. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement as describedin claim 1 wherein said clutch is a dual input shaft clutch.
 12. Aclutch assembly and damper arrangement comprising: a driver element; adriven element coupled to said driver element by a plurality of springs,said driven element having front and rear shells, said shells havingprojections extending therefrom; and a clutch selectively engageable tosaid driven element, said clutch having a housing supporting saidsprings and being torsionally unitary with said driven element withslots for receipt of said shell projections.
 13. A clutch assembly anddamper arrangement as described in claim 12 further including a frictionblock providing torsional damping between said driver element and saiddriven element.
 14. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement asdescribed in claim 13 wherein said friction block is biased by a springring adjacent said front shell.
 15. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 12 wherein said projections for saidfront and rear shells are radially aligned.
 16. A clutch assembly anddamper arrangement as described in claim 12 wherein said front and rearshells are connected by a plurality of circumferentially spaced pins andsaid projections of said front and rear shells connect with said clutchhousing radially outward of said pins.
 17. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 12 wherein said front shellprojections fit within a slot on a face of an extreme end of said clutchhousing.
 18. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement as described inclaim 12 wherein said front shell connects with said housing radiallyoutward from a connection of said housing with said rear shell.
 19. Aclutch assembly and damper arrangement as described in claim 12 whereinsaid front shell connects with said housing generally axially in frontof said springs and said rear shell connects with said housing generallyaxially rearward of said springs.
 20. A clutch assembly and damperarrangement as described in claim 12 wherein said clutch has a splinedconnection with a friction pack backing plate and a connection of saidrear shell with said clutch housing extends axially rearward of saidbacking plate.
 21. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement as describedin claim 12 wherein said damper is unrestrained axially in a forwarddirection.
 22. A clutch assembly and damper arrangement comprising: adriver element; a driven element coupled to said driver element by aplurality of springs, said driven element having front and rear shells,said shells having projections extending therefrom; and a clutchselectively engageable to said driven element, said clutch having ahousing supporting said springs and being torsionally unitary with saiddriven element with slots along an extreme forward face for receipt ofsaid front shell projections and said housing having generally axiallyextending slots rearward of said springs for receipt of said rear shellprojections.